Electric fan and supporting means therefor



ELECTRIC FAN AND SUPPORTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 14, 1933 PatentedMay 1, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFKCE ELEGTRIC FAN AND SUPPORTINGMEANS THEREFOR Application February 14, 1933, Serial No. 656,665

1 Claim.

This invention relates to electric fans, and more particularly to anovel means of supporting an electric fan from a base whereby the fanmay be readily and conveniently moved or tilted 6 to inclined or angularpositions with respect to the base and held in such adjusted positions.The construction provided by the invention eliminates the usual clampingmechanism provided for this purpose wherein it wascustomary to provide apivot bolt passing through the pivot about which the fan was adjusted,and a wing nut positioned upon the pivot bolt. In practice it wasnecessary to loosen the wing nut, move the fan manually to the desiredposition, and then tighten the wing nut to clamp the fan in the adjustedposition.

One object of the present invention is to provide a fan with anarrangement for adjusting the angle of the same relatively to the base,whereby the fan will automatically remain in the position to which it ismoved.

Another object of the invention is to provide a convenient and easilymanipulated means for adjusting a fan relatively to its base.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means foradjusting the fan body relatively to its base which may be manipulatedwithout danger of the fingers of the operator coming in contact with thefan blades.

More particularly, the invention resides in the provision of a wormscrew and worm wheel for adjusting the fan relatively to its base, theworm screw being provided in such a position that it is manipulated fromthat side of the fan base opposite the fan itself whereby the fan may bereadily and easily adjusted without danger to the person adjusting itand without thenecessity of having to loosen and tighten clamping nutsor screws, as has been the case in certain prior constructions.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel featuresand combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a fan embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the fan adjusting mechanism taken atright angles to the .view shown in Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the yoke and stud of the adjustingdevice; and

Fig. 6 is a top view of the yoke shown in Fi 5.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown anelectric motor 10, on the shaft of which is carried a fan 11 within theguard 12. The fan is supported from a base 13, this support beingaccomplished by means secured to the base and to the casing of the motor10. At the rear of the motor is shown oscillating mechanism, designatedgenerally by the numeral 14, but as the particular structure of theoscillating mechanism is not a part of the present invention, it neednot be further de scribed except to state that at the lower end of suchmechanism is pivoted one end of a link 15 which at its other end ispivoted to a lug 16.

A yoke 17 is secured to the base 13, this yoke being slightly enlargedand having a downward- 1y facing recess 18 at its lower end to receiveand embrace the upper end of the base. The yoke may then be secured tothe base by screws or the like 19 passing upwardly into the bottom ofthe yoke.

The yoke 17 1s bifurcated at its upper end to provide upstanding spacedcars 20 and 21 and is provided upon one side below said ears with a boss22. In this boss, and in the wall of the yoke upon the side opposite theboss, are provided bearing sockets 23 and 24, shown more especially inFig. 6, to receive reduced portions 25 and 26 of a worm screw 27 havinga knurled finger piece 28 by which it may be turned.

As shown particularly in Fig. 3, the bearing sockets 23 and 24 openupwardly into the space between the ears 20 and 21 so that the Wormscrew may be inserted into this space and then moved downwardly into thesockets 23 and 24. It will be observed that this screw is provided withshoulders 29 and 30 which between them embrace the wall of the yoke 17to hold the scerw against longitudinal movement.

To the lower side of the fan housing 10 is secured a post 31 which isrotatably received in the bore 32 of a block or bracket member 33. Thepost 31 may be held against removal by the screw 34, the end of whichenters an annular recess 35 in the post to permit rotation oroscillation of the fan relatively thereto. The lug 16 is secured to theblock 33 so that when the oscillating mechanism is in operation, thepost 31 will be oscillated within the opening or socket 32.

t its lower end the block 33 is provided with a member 36 or"substantially circular shape but having flat sides 37, which sides areadaptedto be received between the cars 20 and 21 of the yoke member 17.The member 36 is provided with a central opening 38 through which ispassed a pivot screw 39 which also passes through openings of the ears20 and 21 of the yoke and is threadedly received in one of theseopenings.

The circular portion of the member 36 is slightly reduced in diameter atits lower end and provided peripherally about such reduced portion withworm teeth 40, providing in efiect a worm wheel which meshes with theteeth of the worm 27.

It will be apparent that after the worm screw 27 is positioned withinthe bearing sockets 23 and 24, and the member 36 positioned between thespaced ears 20 and 21 of the yoke and the pivot bolt 39 put into place,the worm screw 29 will be eifectively held in place both as tolongitudinal and transverse movements without any other securing means.Longitudinal movements of this screw will be prevented by the shoulders29 and 36 as well as by the fact that the end of the screw will belodged against the end of the socket 2 1, and transverse movement of thescrew, which could only take place in an upward direction due to theshape of the bearing sockets 23 and 24, will be prevented by theengagement of the worm 40 with the worm of the It will also be apparentthat when the block member 33 is moved about the pivot pin 39, the fanmay be tilted or adjusted to any desired angular position, which tiltingor adjusting movement will not in any way interfere with the oscillatingmovement due to the fact that the oscillating mechanism is connected tothe bracket 33 above the pivot about which the tilting takes place.Moreover, this tilting movement may be accomplished by merelymanipulating the worm screw 2'7 by means of the knurled end 28, and dueto the engagement of the worm and worm teeth 40 no clamping means willbe necessary to hold the fan in adjusted position, as it will remain inany position to which it is moved, the weight of the fan not beingsufficient to overcome the resistance of the worm screw. Moreover, theadjustment may be made from the side opposite that upon which the fanblades are positioned so that there will be no likelihood of the fingerscoming in contact with the fan.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention,it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the detailsshown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit ofthe invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

An electric fancomprising a base, a yoke member seated upon and securedto the upper end of the base and being bifurcated at its upper end topresent spaced apart ears, a supporting block having a lower flat-sidedportion disposed between and pivoted on said ears, said block alsohaving an upper supporting portion provided with an opening through itsupper end, a motor housing having a depending post seated in saidopening, the lower fiat-sided portion of said lock being circular inshape and having worm teeth on its lower edge, said yoke having bearingsockets in the walls thereof below said ears, said sockets openingupwardly into the space between the ears and a worm screw rotatablymounted in the sockets and engaging said teeth.

HENRY C. ENGELI-IARDT.

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